Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead of natural causes at a Texas resort Saturday.
He was 79.
Scalia was a guest at the Cibolo Creek Ranch, according to mysanantonio.com. He was at a party Friday night with about 40 people. He did not show up for breakfast Saturday.
The U.S. Marshals Service confirmed his death Saturday.
"He was an extraordinary individual and jurist, admired and treasured by his colleagues," Chief Justice John G. Roberts released in a statement. "His passing is a great loss to the Court and the country he so loyally served."
Scalia was selected to the bench by Ronald Reagan, who nominated him Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Scalia took his seat Sept. 26, 1986. He was considered an originalist, ruling with a constitutional intrepretation as they were understood by the Founding Fathers.
Scalia enjoyed baseball, poker and hunting. He was also an enthusiastic singer.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott shared his condolences in a statement released Saturday:
"He was the solid rock who turned away so many attempts to depart from and distort the Constitution. His fierce loyalty to the Constitution set an unmatched example, not just for the judges and lawyers, but for all Americans. We mourn his passing, and we pray that his successor on the Supreme Court will take his place as a champion for the written Constitution and the Rule of Law."
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